Nailable metal stud



arch 30, 1965 w. J. BRUNINGA 3,175,651

NAILABLE METAL STUD Filed Jan. 8, 1962 mmv rom 5% ATTORNEYS.

This invention relates to nailable metal studs and more particularly to studs formed entirely of wire.

Nailable metal studs have heretofore been proposed defined at their edges by converging metal strips between which a nail can be driven to be gripped by the edges of the strips. These structures tend to be relatively expen "sive because of the amount of metal used and cost of fabrication. Furthermore, because the sheet metal must be relatively thin, the amount of gripping force they can exert on the nail is limited and they tend to be bent or damaged in use so that they are not capable of reuse to grip a nail in the same location.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a nailable metal stud which is formed entirely of wire and which is consequently relatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate.

Another object is to provide a nailable metal stud which provides high resilient gripping force on a nail and which is capable of substantially unlimited reuse.

According to a feature of the invention, the stud is formed with edge elements at least one of which comprises side-by-side wire strips and a pair of cross wires secured to the strips respectively and connected together at points spaced from the edge elements. Preferably the wire strips are flattened at their inner surfaces and convex at their outer surfaces so that a nail can easily be driven between them and so that the sharp edges at the juncture of the fiat and convex surfaces will grip the nail securely.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a nailable metal stud embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an edge view showing a nail driven into the stud; and

FIGURES 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 33 and 44 respectively of FIGURE 1.

The stud, as shown, comprises two edge elements, indicated generally at 10, which lie in spaced parallel relationship to each other and which are joined by one or more pairs of cross wires, indicated generally at 11. At least one of the edge elements and preferably both of them, as in the embodiment shown, are formed of spaced side-by-side wire strips 12. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the wire strips 12 have arcuate convex outer surfaces and fiat inner surfaces joining the convex surfaces substantially at a diameter thereof to define sharp edges for gripping nails more securely. In the completed stud, the We strips 12 may be slightly spaced from each other, as shown, or could be in side-by-side contact with each other.

The pairs of cross wires 11 are defined by two identical wires 13 each of which is sinuously bent in a series of relatively large bends and each of which is further sinuously bent in a series of relatively smaller sinuous bends so that they are non-symmetrical. The cross wires 13 are reversed relative to each other, as best seen in FIG- URE 1, so that they cross each other at points 14 spaced from the edge elements 10. At the crossing points 14 the cross Wires 13 are secured to each other preferably by welding as shown. Crossing of the wires at the weld points is desirable accurately to locate the weld points ice and to limit the area over which the wires are welded together.

The rebent edge portions of the cross wires, as indicated at 15, are secured respectively to the wire strips 12, preferably by welding as shown. With the several wire elements assembled in the relationship indicated and welded the nailable metal stud is completed and ready for use.

It will be seen that this stud construction can be formed very simply of only two different types of wire elements, namely the wire strips 12 and the cross wires 13. Fabrication of the stud is therefore relatively simple and inexpensive and the wire strips themselves are of simple and inexpensive construction. Furthermore, the construction utilizes a minimum amount of metal so that its overall cost is low.

For using the studs they may be erected in the usual manner and coverings, as indicated in dot-dash lines at 16 in FIGURES 1 and 4, may be nailed thereto. Any desired type of nails may be used, but preferably nails 17 having their shanks grooved or corrugated are employed for increased gripping.

The nails can be driven through the covering material 16 in registry with the space between the adjacent edge wires 12 and the tapered point on the nail in cooperation with the convex outer surface of the edge wires will spread them apart so that the nail can enter between them, as shown. As the edge wires spread, the cross wires 13 will flex outwardly from the weld points 14 and will resiliently urge the edge wires together securely to grip the nails between them. Due to this resilient action and to the sharp gripping edges on the edge wires, the nails will be held securely.

If it should be necessary to remove a nail for any purpose it can be pulled out from between the edge wires and the stud could be renailed in the same position. When the first nail is removed the edge wires will tend to spring back together so that they will grip the second nail with substantially the same gripping force when it is driven between them.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that it is illustrative only and not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A nailable metal stud comprising a pair of spaced parallel edge elements, at least one of the elements being formed of two separate wire strips lying side-by-side across the edge of the stud, a pair of sinuously bent cross wires extending between the edge elements with rebent outer portions thereof secured respectively to the wire strips, and means securing the cross wires together at points spaced from the edge elements whereby the outer portions thereof which are secured to the wire strips at any point in their length can flex to permit separation of the wire strips to receive and grip a nail between them.

2. The stud of claim 1 in which the wire strips have flat inner surfaces and convex outer surfaces meeting the inner surfaces at sharp edges.

3. A nailable metal stud comprising a pair of spaced parallel edge elements each formed of a pair of wire strips lying side-by-side across the edges of the stud, a pair of sinuously bent cross wires lying side-by-side between the edge elements with rebent outer portions thereof registering longitudinally of the stud and secured to the wire strips respectively, and means securing the cross wires together at points spaced from the edge elements, whereby the outer portions of the cross wires which are secured to the wire strips can flex to permit separation of the wire strips at any point in their length to receive and grip a nail between them.

9 m9 4. The stud of claim 3 in which the cross wires are formed with dis-similar sinuous bends in the runs thereof between the edge elements so that they cross each other at the points at which they are secured together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 2,218,428 10/40 Hurlbert 189-34 X 2,286,578 8/54 Edge et a1 189-37 FOREIGN PATENTS 212,549 12/ 60 Austria. 213,037 1/61 Austria.

BENJAMIN BENDETT, Primary Examiner.

JOEL REZNEK, Examiner. 

1. A NAILABLE METAL STUD COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL EDGE ELEMENTS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS BEING FORMED OF TWO SEPARATE WIRE STRIPS LYING SIDE-BY-SIDE ACROSS THE EDGE OF THE STUD, A PAIR OF SINUOUSLY BENT CROSS WIRES EXTENDING BETWEEN THE EDGE ELEMENTS WITH REBENT OUTER PORTIONS THEREOF SECURED RESPECTIVELY TO THE WIRE STRIPS, AND MEANS SECURING THE CROSS WIRES TOGETHER AT POINTS SPACED FROM THE EDGE ELEMENTS WHEREBY THE OUTER PORTIONS THEREOF WHICH ARE SECURED TO THE WIRE STRIPS AT ANY POINT IN THEIR LENGTH CAN FLEX TO PERMIT SEPARATION OF THE WIRE STRIPS TO RECEIVE AND GRIP A NAIL BETWEEN THEM. 